William towle



(No Model.)

W. TOWLE.

VAULT LIGHT. 7 No. 546,365. Patented Sept. 17, 1895.

WITNESSES:

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XVILLIAH TOlVLE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRYHELD, OF SAME PLACE.

VAULT-LIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 546,365, datedSeptember 17, 1895.

Application filed June 21,1895. Serial No. 553,557. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM TowLE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Vault-Lights, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in vault-lights that are used forcovering openings in sidewalks, floors, &c., without excluding thelight.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved vault-lightwhich is simple in construction, strong and durable, can easily berepaired, and in which the individual lenses are well protected.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like letters of reference indicate like parts in all 2: thefigures, Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of my improvedvault-light. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on theline 22 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 3 is a horizontalsectional View on the line 3 3 25 of Fig. 2, also on an enlarged scale.Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of parts, showing a modifiedconstruction.

The vault-light is composed of a cast or wrought iron plate A, providedwith a series of circular holes A, which are arranged equidistant fromeach other in all directions.

The circular edges of the holes A are inclined inward and downward toconform to the bevels of the circular edges of the glass 5 lenses B,which fit snugly in the holes in such a manner that the upper edges ofsaid lenses are flush with the upper surface of the plate A, the uppersurfaces of the lenses being shaped convexly, so as to project above theupper surface of the plate A.

On lines crossing each other at right angles quadrilateral holes 0 areformed in the plate A equidistant from each other, so that four suchholes are arranged around each hole A, 5 A,the holes 0 being aquarter-circle from each other, and the holes 0 being midway between theholes A in directions at right angles to each other.

A cast-metal cup D, provided at its upper 0 edge with an exterior flangeE, is placed against the under side of each glass lens 13,

the cups each having a circular bottom opening G of almost the size ofthe bottom of the cup, so as not to obstruct the light.

The flanges E of the cups D are of such diameter that the edges of theseveral flanges E come in contact when the cups are placed against thebottoms of the lenses, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and in dottedlines in Fig. 1. The flanges E are provided with four notches F in theouter edges, which notches are a quarter of a circle from each other, sothat the notches in the flanges of the cups D, applied on two adjacentlenses, register and form apertures of the same size as and registeringwith the holes 0, in rows equidistant from each other and at rightangles to each other.

Rivets H, having rounded top heads U,are passed through the holes 0 andthrough the apertures registering with said holes and formed by theregistering-notches F of two adjacent flanges E, and then heads K areformed on the lower ends of the rivets H and against the under sides ofthe flanges E, each rivet holding two cups in place in conjunction withother rivets. Thereby the cups D are held securely against the bottomsof the lenses B, and the flanges E of the cups are held securely againstthe under side of the plate A.

The upper heads J of the rivets H project above the highest points ofthe convex tops of the lenses B and protect the same from injury, andalso aiford a firm foothold for pedestrians.

In case any one lens breaks or the joints thereof become leaky, the cupD of the corresponding lens is removed after the rivets holding the samehave been removed, and the lens is replaced by a new lens, or theoriginal lens is carefully reset, so as to make the joints 9o tight andsecure.

As shown in Fig. 4, the pins M, of malleable or wrought iron, may besecured on the flanges and are passed through holes in the plate A, andthe upper ends of said pins are hammered 5 down to form heads, as shownin dotted lines in Fig. l.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a vault light, the combination with a plate having aperturesarranged equidistant ICO from each other in lines at right angles toeach other, of a lens placed in each hole, an apertured cup placedagainst the bottom of each lens, which cups each have an exteriorflange, said flanges being of such size that the flanges of the cups onadjacent lenses come in contact and the flanges having notches, aquarter circle from each other and rivets passing through registeringslots of two adjacent flanges and through the plate, substantially asherein shown and described.

2. In a vault light, the combination with a plate having holes arrangedequidistant from each other in rows at right angles to each other andserving to receive glass lenses, said plate also having smaller holesbetween the lens receiving holes, and on lines equidistant from WILLIAMTOWLE. Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, HENRY HELD.

